Howto: Dual boot very easy file sharing

[Matchless]

Hi,
here is a very easy and quick way to share files between ubuntu and XP on a dual boot PC. The howto is for Feisty, but should work on other versions as well. This is a simplified method taken from many other more complex howto's with recognition to those publishers.

Howto Feisty Very easily share files on dual boot


Most Windows Partions nowadays are in NTFS format and Linux partions in EXT3. This means that natively they cannot read or write properly and safely to each other. On a dual boot PC the solution is easy and just requires a usefull application to be installed on each installation that will solve the problem. These applications are now fully stable and you do not need to use a seperate fat32 partition for sharing any more as was prescribed in the past and which is not very efficient.

1. Ubuntu or Kubuntu to access files in Windows XP
   Ensure that universe repositories are enabled.

Use Adept or Synaptic to install ntfs-config, which will then also download and install all required dependancies.
You will find a new menu entry that is called NTFS Configuration Tool. Just run it if you are using Ubuntu, but edit it first, before running it in Kubuntu, by right clicking on it and changing the line gksu ntfs-config to kdesu ntfs-config before running it.
This will then automatically configure the application and you will be asked for a name of the mountpoint in Ubuntu, give anything i.e. WinXP.
Now you should be able to see this WinXP drive together with your Ubuntu drives and use it.

1. Win XP to access files in Ubuntu or Kubuntu
   Go to http://www.fs-driver.org/
   Download the application Ext2lFS_1_10c.exe or latest version and install on your XP.
   You will be shown a graphic display of your hard drives partitions and be able to select a drive name for the linux drive to be mapped to. You can use any one but suggest you use L (for Linux!) and only map to Ext3 and leave the swap unmapped.
   You will now find a Drive L that is your Linux drive and you will be able to read and write to it in XP.
   
   
   

Obviously you need to be careful and only really access the files and folders that are used for document, data etc. that the user keeps and not access the system files or carefully do this in case of messing up your installation.

[sambehera]

thanks! this worked really well ... very easy to understand and useful howto!

thanks a lot matchless... and yes ... kubuntu is amazing...

[tutua]

cheers

[Lucho77]

Hey Matchless, Does this replace the file sharing stuff like 'samba' or 'nfs' that some of us already have ??
Thank you for this usefull thread.
Lucho77

[Matchless]

This is only for dual boot PC, to allow linux to see windows and vice versa. Samba and NFS should still be used between separate machines.

[treesurf]

Has anyone verified that this will work with Gutsy and Vista?

[chadeldridge]

The mail sharing is working fine for me, but I am missing my custom configurations from my windows install that are located in the userchrome.css. They still work in windows, but not in linux.

[Jose Catre-Vandis]

Has anyone verified that this will work with Gutsy and Vista?

Yes it does. You have to fight a bit with Ext2lFS_1_10c.exe to get it to install under Vista (e.g. compatibility) but it does work. Been using it since gutsy came out. Seamless.

[regbsn]

Let me see if I understand...

Install these two programs. Have a NTFS partition with XP and an ext3 partition with Ubuntu.

1. Do I need a separate NTFS partition for shared files or will XP access files off Linux partition and Linux access files from XP partition? If not, do I make a third partition for shared files and what format should it be in (NTFS, ext2 or ext3)?

2. Can I share a swap partition? If so, what file format? How would I tell XP and Ubuntu to use it?

3. Would I put shared application, to be run with Wine on Ubuntu, on the third partition?

[treesurf]

To answer your first question, the whole point of this is so that you do not need to make a third partition for shared files. The windows and linux partitions can access each other.

I got NTFS working very easily on my Linux partition and then decided not to bother with the Vista partition because I don't use it much anyways.